Means for forming and tempering helical springs



Get. 22, 1940. c A W|DGREN MEANS FOR FORMING AND TEMPERING HELICALSPRINGS Filed Jun 2:5,

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MEANS FOR FORMING AND TEMPERING HELICAL SPRINGS Filed June 23, 1938 5Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

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MEANS FOR FORMING AND TEMPERING HELICAL SPRINGS INVENTOR. 6&1: vlcs AATTORNEYS.

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MEANS FOR FORMING AND TEMPERING HELICAL SPRINGS Filed June 23, 1938 5Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Vt tz g rlesA. fillgvcn ntJJ. v v 2) JMmdM ATTZZfiFYS.

Patented Oct. 22, 1940 UNITED STATES HELICAL SPRINGS IVIEAN S FORFORMING AND TEDIPERING Charles A. Widgren, Flint, Mich.

Application June 23, 1938, Serial No. 215,414

6 Claims. (01.. -89) The present invention relates to means orimplements for forming and tempering helical springs and the like; andits object is, generally, to provide improved means whereby such springsmay be shaped into and tempered in certain finished forms, particularlyforms in which the ends or end coil portions of the-spring are flattenedfrom helical into plane form, as into planes at predetermined angles tothe springs axis, and whereby the spring is heldagainst deformation fromsuch shaped finished form during the tempering thereof; and further, toprovide improved means or implements for changing the length of suchsprings.

These and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing areattained bythe illustrative preferable means orimplements particularlydescribed in the body of this specification and illustrated by theaccompanying drawings, in

which: v

Figure 1 is'an elevational side View of an implement whereby helicalsprings and the like may be thus formed and tempered, means for holdingthe spring therein being illustrated in their inoperative position andcertain parts of the implement being shown in longitudinal verticalsection;

Figure 2 is a like view thereof but showing said means in operativeposition and certain upper parts broken away;

Figure 3 is a top plan viewof parts of the same shown partly inhorizontal section taken on line 33 of Figure 1, one end portion only ofthe helical spring being shown in this View;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of parts thereof shown partly inhorizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1;

' Figure 5 is a top plan View of the same partly sectioned horizontallyon the line 5-5 of Figure 2; Y a

Figure 6 is an elevational left hand end View of parts thereof; v

Figure 7 is a transversevertical sectional view of parts of the sametaken on line l-'| of Figure 5; I

Figure 8 is a transversevertical sectional view of vparts thereoftakenon line 8-8 of Figure 3;

Figure .9 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional View of the sametaken on line 99 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a central longitudinal vertical sectional view of theimplement, illustrating a modified construction thereof; r

Figure 11 is a transverse vertical sectional view thereof taken on lineHl l of Figure 10;

vFigure 12 is a transverse vertical sectional View of the same taken'online l2--l2 of Figure 10. V In the manufacture of helical springs theirhelical shape is usually continued throughout their length or axialextent, so that their ends or end coil portions do not lie in planes, asin planes which are at apre'determined angle (as a right angle) to thesprings axis. It is therefore a main object of this invention to provideimproved implements whereby such'a. spring may be readily andeconomically shaped and tempered in the finished form wherein its endsor end coil portions are positioned. in such planes,'so that the springsload will be supported onits fiat ends lying in such planes and wherebythe springs may belengthened or shortened in'axial direction.

The helical spring! heated to a proper degree of pliancy is placed inthe lower part2 of an elongated container or quenching box.'3 supportedas by its leg 4 ma vessel-E5 containing a cooling or quenching liquid 6,as oil, in which said container and the spring withiniit are immersed asindicated iniFigure 2 for tempering the spring in the usual way by therapidly cooling action of the liquid, which may be circulated throughthe vessels ports 1, 8 and the containers ports 9, I0.

Means are provided for holding the springs main'portion, i. e., itscoils ll intermediate its end coil portions l2; I3, in axial alignmentin the container, such means, in their illustrated form, including thelongitudinally extending halves I4 of the containers bottom on whosedownwardlyinwardly inclined upper surfaces the lowerside of the springseats, and which halves are spaced by the slot or port Ill through whichthe liquid may freely flow when the container is being drained in itsposition indicated in Figure '1; Such holdingmeans includes' alsothe'lever arm l5 whose convex'end I6 is turnable in a bearing l! in theblock l8 slidable in a bearing I9 in the under side of thetop 200i thecontainers upper part of half 2|, this block being slid in the bearingI9 by a screw 22 threaded therein and journalled in said parts end23inorder to move said arm longitudinally to adjusted positions for thepurpose hereinafter explained. 1

It will be seen that when said upper part or half 2l of the container isslid downwardly on the guide posts 24, 25 by suitable means asbyadmitting fluid pressure above the head 26 of this arm and thecontainers bottom as indicated in the views. Thus said main portion ofthe helical spring I is held in axial alignment during the flattening ofits end coil portions I2, I3 and the shaping or forming thereofrelatively to said main portion and during the tempering of the spring.

Spaced longitudinally of the container and in the springs axialdirection, means engaging the springs end coil portions I2, I 3respectively are provided for flattening them, for positioning the samein planes at a predetermined angle (in the shown instance, a rightangle) to the axis of said main portion of the spring held in thecontainer, and for holding said end coil portions thus flattened andformed or shaped, against deformation during the tempering thereof. Eachof said means, in their illustrated form, comprises a pair ofcooperating members 29, or 3|, 32, one of each pair as the members 29and 3|, being relatively movable in the springs axial direction toadjusted positions to accommodate a helical spring of desired length;and the other member of each pair as the members 30 .x and 32, ismovable relatively to the members 29 and 3|.

i The member 29 carried by the lever arm I5 is movable to its saidadjusted position (which is fixed in the longitudinal direction of saidarm and relatively to the right hand end of the container) by turningthe screw 22, and the member 3| may be manually moved to its saidadjusted position guidedly on the ribs 33 extending horizontally andinwardly from the sides 34 of the containers lower part or half 2 andslidably bearing in notches 35 in the opposite vertical edges of thismember 3|. Said member 3| is, as shown, held in its said adjustedposition by turning down the screws indicated at 36 to clamp saidribs'between this members clamp blocks 31 and the under side of thenotches 35; and, as shown, said member is also held in'its said adjustedposition by turning down the screw indicated at 38 to clamp thecontainers bottoms halves M between. the lower edge of this member andthe clamp block 39' which is slidable in the slot II]. It will thus beseen that this member 3| is held, at triangularly disposed points, inthe position to which ithas been slidably moved.

The'other members 30 and 32 of the respective pairs are movablerelatively to each other and relatively to the adjusted members 29, 3|of said pairs along said guiding means, the ribs 33. The members of eachpair have fiat adjacent faces40, 4| or 42, 43, which in theircooperating action extend parallelly with each other and transversely ofthe helical springs axis.

- The member 36 of the left hand pair and the member 32 of the righthand pair are yieldingly urged apart by coiled springs 44 surroundingthe horizontal rods 45 which pass freely through indicated openings. 46in member 32 and registering openings 41 in member 3|, the separatingmovement of the members 39 and 32 being limited'by stop collars 48 formember 30 and movable collars 49 for member 32, the collars 49 beingheld in proper adjusted slid position for a helical spring of suchdesired finished length by pins 50.

Means are provided for forcibly moving the members 33, 32 sl'idablytoward the members 29, 3| of the respeetivepairs by the mutuallyapproaching movement of the containers parts or halves 2 and 2|, suchmeans, in their illustrated form, including the block 5|, on the lefthand end portion of the containers upper part or half, for moving themember 30, and the block 52, adjustable to position in the right handend portion of said upper half, for moving the member 32, this block 52being manually movable to adjusted position corresponding to theposition of member 32 whose stop collar '49 has been adjusted to theproper position for accommodating a helical spring of the desiredlength.

This block 52 is securedin its adjusted position by suitable meanswhich, in their illustrated form, include screws 53 extending throughelongated openings or slots 54 in the top 26 of the containers -supperpart or half 2|, and screws 55 extending through such openings or slots56 in said parts opposite sides 34, these screws having heads and beingthreaded in this block and turnable for clamping said block in itsadjusted position.

The block 5| and its cooperating member 33, and the block 52 and itscooperating member 32 have mutually adjacent relatively inclined sideportions which slide on each other in the downward movement of saidupper part 23 for wedgingly forcing the members 30 and 32 tor ward themembers 29 and 3| respectively. Such inclined portions 58, ,59 of block5|; Gil, 6| of member 30; 62, 63 of block 52 and 64, 65 of member 32,are spaced in the direction of said blocks vertical movement so that themutually adjacent faces of the members of each of the pairs are alwaysmaintained in parallel relation.

The inner side 66 of member 28 is inclined relatively to its outer sideor face 43 so that this member may more readily enter between the endcoil portion |2and the next coil in the downward movement of thecontainers upper part or half. A helical groove as indicated at 31 inFigure 8 may be formed in the face 42 of member 3| for receiving thefree end part ofthe end coil portion I3 of the spring so that one endcoil portion of the spring will not be completely flattened, in caseswhere this may seem desirable.

A headed rod 68 extending through the containers top and threaded in thelever arm l5,

with a cushioning spring 63, may be provided for preventing this armfrom falling too far when said upper half is raised.

In the modified construction of the implement as illustrated byFigure10, a member extending in the containers longitudinal direction andengaging one side of the helical spring therein, as the lever arm |5 inthe containers closed position, may be provided with spaced inwardextensions or lugs 10 engaging between the coils H of the main portionof the spring for holding said coils in properly spaced relation andholding said main portion axially relatively to the end coil portionsI2, I 3. These extensions or lugs have inclined sides H for moving thesecoils into such spaced relation.

This implement is operated, in the following manner:

For adapting the implement to accommodate a helical spring of desiredfinished length, the lever arm |5 is by turning the screw 22 slid formoving the member 29 to proper adjusted position and the block 52 isslid to proper adjusted position and held therein by turning down thescrews 53, 55. The member 32 is slid to proper position for cooperatingwith the block 52 and is held against the pressure of the coiled springs44 by adjusting the collars 43 in their proper fixed position, and themember 3| is slid to and held in proper adjusted. position forcooperating with the member 32. The helical spring heated to the properdegree of pliancyand for tempering, is placed in the lower part or half2 of thecontainer with the transaxial outer side of its left hand endcoilportion. I 2 at or adjacent tothe face 4! of the member 30 and. itsright hand end coil portion l3 positioned between the cooperatingmembers 3!, 32 of the right hand pair. J

Power being applied, as to the piston 21, the co-ntainers upper part orhalfis forced down wardly from its raised position. In this move. mentWedge shaped member 29 enters between the springs left hand end coilportion [2 and the next coil I I of its main portion and as saidmovement continues thismember 29, 'frictionally ene gaging the innertransaxial side of said end coil portion or the adjacenttransaxial sideof said coil H, causes arm l to turn upwardly until stopped by thebottom of the groove [9, thus causing the face 40 of thismember. 29 toassume a position parallel with the face, of member 30. The members 30,32- of' the respective pairs are by said downward movement of said upperhalf now forced toward their cooperating members 29, 3| respectivelythus flattening the springs end coil portions l2,- l3 vbetween themembers of said pairs respectively into planes at the predeterminedangle (in the illustrated instance, a right angle) to the axis of thesprings main portion. This same action also forms the spring into thedesired finished length.

To this end the parts cooperate in the following manner: Member 29 ofthe left hand pair carried by or connected to the upper side or half 2|of the quenching box and member 3| of the right hand pair carried by orconnected with the boxs lower side or half 2, may be moved in thesprings axial direction and secured in desired adjusted positions onsaid sides respectively. These mem-.

bers 29, 3i thus form abutments or stops for defining the length of thefinished spring. The spring is laid in the boxs lower half with theinner side of its end coil l3 adjacent the right hand side 42 of member3|; the boxs upper half being now forced down, the member 29 of the lefthand pair entering between coils l I, I2 determines the position of theleft hand end coil l2 and engaging this end coil moves it to the left tolengthen the spring or engaging the adjacent coil ll moves it toward theright to shorten the spring, and this downward movement of said upperhalf also causes, by means of the blocks 5|, 52, the members 39, 32 ofsaid pairs to move toward the members 29, 3i for clamping and flatteningsaid end coil portions or convolutions.

It will be seen that the lever arm -l5 in the lowest position of thecontainers upper part 2| engages the upper side of the springs mainportion, i. e. the coils H, thus holding said portion in axialalignment, and that in the modified construction shown in. Figure theinclined sides H of the spaced inward extensions or lugs 10 engagingsaid coils ll move the same into properly spaced relation. The helicalspring thus shaped or formed and while held in such shape or form istempered by subjecting the same to the rapidly cooling action of theliquid.

The spring is thus formed or shaped by bending the same and its portionsrelatively to each other While heated to a sufficiently pliant degree,and is tempered into finished form and shape while thus held.

The forming of the end coil portions of the spring in planes atpredetermined angles to the axis of its main portion is thus effected bypositioning the adjacent faces of the members of these pairs at the sameangle to the, longitudinal direction of the means I4, l5 whereby saidmain portion is held in the container.

The invention beingintended to be pointed out in the claims, is not tobe limited to why details of the method, or details of construction andarrangement of the particular implement illustrated or hereinbeforeshown or described.

I claim:

1. An implement of the class described for shaping pliantly-heatedhelicalsprings and the like held therein to a predetermined set form,said implementincluding: means at the opposite sides of the implementcomprising cooperating members having a mutually approaching movementinto engagement with the adjacent sides of the spring for holding thesame against transaxial movement, means at one end of the implementengaging one end convolution of the spring for holding said convolutionagainst movement in the springs axial direction; and means at the otherend of the implement comprising a pair of cooperating members.relatively movable into clamping engagement with the opposite. sides ofthe other end convolution of the spring for flattening said convolutionand bending the same clamped therebetween into a predetermined planetransaxial of the spring.

2. An implement of the class described for shaping pliantly-heatedhelical springs and the like held therein to a predetermined set form,said implement including: means at the side of the implement having amovement toward the adjacent side of the spring and having spacedtransverse recesses adapted to receive coils respectively of the springfor holding the same against relative movement in the springs axialdirection; and means at one end of the implement comprising a pair ofcooperating members relatively movable into clamping engagement with theopposite sides of an end convolution of the spring for flattening saidconvolution and bending the same clamped therebetween into apredetermined plane transaxial of the spring.

3. An implement of the class described for shaping pliantly-heatedhelical springs and the like held herein to a predetermined set form,said implement including: a pair of cooperating members at each end ofthe implement the members of each pair being relatively movable intoclamping engagement with the adjacent emd convolution of the spring forflattening and bending the same into a predetermined plane transaxial ofthe spring, one member of at least one of said pairs being movablerelatively to the other pair parallelly with the springs axis to anadjustably fixed position for defining the length of the finishedspring.

4. An implement of the class described for shaping pliantly-heatedhelical springs and the like held therein to a predetermined set form,said implement including: a pair of cooperating members at each end ofthe implement the members of each pair being relatively movable intoclamping engagement with the adjacent end convolution of the spring forflattening and bending the same into a predetermined plane transaxial ofthe spring, one member of at least one of said pairs being movablerelatively to the other pair parallelly with the springs axis to anadjustably fixed position for defining the length of the finishedspring; and means for moving the members of said pairs into their saidengagement with the springs end convolutions respectively.

5. An implement of the class described for shaping pliantly-heatedhelical springs and the like to a predetermined set form, said implementincluding: a box having opposite sides connected for mutuallyapproaching lateral movement to a position wherein the spring is heldtherebetween against transaxial movement; a

" pair of cooperating members'in the box at each end thereof the membersof each pair being relatively movable into clamping engagement with theadjacent end convolution of the spring for flattening and bending thesame into a predetermined plane transaxial of the spring, one member ofat least one pair being connected with one side of the box the othermember of the same pair being connected with the other side of the boxand one member of said pair being movable parallelly with the springsaxis to an adjustably fixed position for defining the length of thespring, the adjustably fixed member being adapted to engage by theapproaching movement of said sides the adjacent end convolution of thespring for lengthening or shortening the spring to the limit defined bysaid adjustably fixed members fixed position.

6. An implement of the class described for shaping pliantly-heatedhelical springs and the like to a predetermined set form, said implementincluding: a box having opposite sides connected for mutuallyapproaching lateral movement to a position wherein the spring is heldtherebetween against transaxial movement; a pair of cooperating membersin the box at each end thereof the members of each pair being relativelymovable into clamping engagement with the adjacent end convolution ofthe spring for flattening and bending the same into a predeterminedplane transaxial of the spring, one member of at least one pair beingconnected with one side of the box the other member of the same pairbeing connected with the other side of the box and one member of saidpair being movable parallelly with the springs axis to an adjustablyfixed position for defining the length of the spring, the adjustablyfixed member being adapted to engage by the approaching movement of saidsides of the adjacent end convolution of the spring for lengthening orshortening the spring to the limit defined by said adjustably fixedmembers fixed position; and a block mounted on one side of the box ateach end thereof having an inclined side slidably engaging the movablemember of a pair on the other side of the box for moving the same towardthe cooperating fixed member of said pair by the I approaching movementof said sides.

CHARLES A. WIDGREN.

